High-speed stranding machine with air cooling

ABSTRACT

High-speed stranding machine with means for air cooling of same. The stranding machine comprises a housing having rotatably mounted therein a hollow rotor which in turn contains a pivotally mounted spool for wire. Conventional means are provided for withdrawing wire from the spool and leading same to the exterior of the machine and conventional means are provided for providing high-speed rotation of the rotor. A window is provided through the rotor to permit access to the spool. Fan means are positioned at at least one end of such rotor for drawing air from within the rotor and expelling same externally of the machine. Sealing means, such as walls projecting inwardly toward the rotor from the housing to constitute a labyrinth seal, are provided for minimizing the entry of air into the window zone of the rotor. Thus, air pressure is reduced in such window zone which reduces the noise generation thereat. By the same reduction of air pressure within the rotor, ambient air is caused to enter thereinto through channels provided through or adjacent the roller bearings thereby effecting cooling thereof. Exiting air from said fan is conducted along at least one end of the rotor for cooling same and for drawing thereto heat generated adjacent said window. Air exiting from said fan may also be conducted through the brake provided for emergency stopping of the rotor.

United States Patent Jahne HIGH-SPEED STRANDING MACHINE WITH AIR COOLING[75] Inventor: Walter Jahne, Marktoberdorf,

Allgaeu, Germany [73] Assignee: Maschinenfabrik HerbornKommanditgesellschaft, Herborn/Dillkreis, Germany [22] Filed: Apr. 15,1974 [21] Appl. No.: 460,974

[] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 16, 1973 Germany 2319145 [52]US. Cl 57/58.32; 57/5834 [51] Int. Cl t D071) 3/04 [58] Field of Search57/583-5854, 57/5863, 58.65, 58.7, 5883, 58.34 R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,162,131 6/1939Somerville... 57/5832 2,4l6,l26 2/1947 Somerville... 57/5832 3,407,58710/1968 Mitchell r. 57/5832 Primary Examiner-John Petrakes Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Woodhams, Blanchard and Flynn l 5 7 1 ABSTRACT High-speedstranding machine with means for air cooling of same. The strandingmachine comprises a housing having rotatably mounted therein a hollowrotor which in turn contains a pivotally mounted spool for wire.Conventional means are provided for withdrawing wire from the spool andleading same to the exterior of the machine and conventional means areprovided for providing high-speed rotation of the rotor. A window isprovided through the rotor to permit access to the spool. Fan means arepositioned at at least one end of such rotor for drawing air from withinthe rotor and expelling same externally of the machine. Sealing means,such as walls projecting inwardly toward the rotor from the housing toconstitute a labyrinth seal, are provided for minimizing the entry ofair into the window zone of the rotor. Thus, air pressure is reduced insuch window zone which reduces the noise generation thereat. By the samereduction of air pressure within the rotor, ambient air is caused toenter thereinto through channels provided through or adjacent the rollerbearings thereby effecting cooling thereof. Exiting air from said fan isconducted along at least one end of the rotor for cooling same and fordrawing thereto heat generated adjacent said window. Air exiting fromsaid fan may also be conducted through the brake provided for emergencystopping of the rotor.

13 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures t 9 l 12 20 14\ a l A i 'T'-i T-T"7" "*"V29 23 1a 21 24 25 21 7'1 1s 25 PATEHTEBJUL 8 ms SHEET N EM N 3 MN 1HIGH-SPEED STRANDING MACHINE WITH AIR COOLING FIELD OF THE INVENTION Theinvention relates to a high-speed stranding machine for the manufactureof stranded wire from individual wires or from ropes of stranded wire,comprising a housing in which a windowed cylindrical rotor is supportedrotatably and spaced from the inner wall of the housing, having at leastone spool carrier which is pivotally suspended in the rotor andaccessible through a window therein, and devices for venting the insideof the housing, wherein on the inside of the housing there are arrangedhousing partition walls which extend close to the rotor, and whichdivide the space between the inner wall of the housing and the outerwall of the rotor into window zones and into cooling zones.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION High-speed stranding machines are operatedat very high rotational speeds and correspondingly high peripheralspeeds, such as a rotational speed of 5,000 rotations per minute and aperipheral speed of 120 m/sec. At such high peripheral speeds a verystrong air turbulence takes place which is substantially due to theedges of the windows. Such turbulence is not only noisy but alsoconverts much mechanical energy into heat. Even if one would seal ahigh-speed rotor in a soundproof manner, the problem would not be solvedbecause the heat which is produced by air circulation and bearingfriction would lead to such high temperatures as to in hibit or preventthe successful operation of such a machine.

In the past, enclosed rotors have been vented by additional fans and thenoise caused thereby was accepted. Another solution consists inarranging within the rotor housing an intermediate base which on oneside thereof permits a circuitous venting of the rotor chamber, whilethe arrangement of partition walls, and plenum chambers defined by thesepartition walls, prevents the propagation of the sound transmitted bythe air. However, the housing shape so provided which contrasts with asmooth cylindrical shape again causes an additional turbulence.

it is also known to provide a covering for the win dows, while thesmooth zones of the rotor are contacted by the outside air. In zones ofa relatively low speed this will achieve reasonably satisfactoryresults. However, at higher peripheral speeds, neither the contact ofthe smooth zones with ambient outside air is sufficient to achieve thedesired cooling, nor is the only partial encasing of the rotor, whichalso transmits body sound, sufficient to effect the desired reduction ofnoise.

It is also known (Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,064,501) to use in machineswhich are driven by electric motors the cooling air jet of the electricmotor for venting of noise limiting casings. There are here threepossibilities. First, if the air flows through the motor, only a smallamount of the cooling is obtained for the driven machine. Second, if themotor draws the heated air from the noise limiting casing, then thecooling for the motor may not be sufficient. Third, if the ejectoreffect of the air blown off by the motor is used to draw additionalfresh air through the noise limiting casing, then the air which is blownout by the motor must expend energy to move the additional further air.It is hence slowed down which renders the motor cooling in turn lesseffective.

In none of the suggested solutions are the noise and heat problems metat the places where they originate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, the basic purpose of the invention is tofurther develop a high-speed stranding machine of the type mentionedabove so that the air turbulence is reduced at the place where itoriginates, namely in the window zones.

This purpose is attained according to the invention by fixedlyconnecting with the rotor fan wheels which are arranged to convey airfrom the window zones into the cooling zones, and by providing thatbetween window zones and cooling zones and between the inside of therotor and the atmosphere only small flow cross sections exist.

Fan wheels which are fixedly connected to the rotor effect, because ofthe high rotational speed of the rotor, a very strong air jet and permitthe production of a considerable pressure differential between suctionside and pressure side of the fan wheels. Thus, the air pressure in thearea of the window zones can be considerably reduced. The smaller airdensity in the window zones leads to a smaller turbulence and hence lessnoise and less heat generation. The low pressure effects also an entryof fresh air through the wire guides, which favors the cooling of theotherwise not attainable spool carrier bearings, and return flow occursthrough the gap existing between rotor and housing partition walls.Propagation of the air noise which is created in the window zone isprevented by such gap while the heat is discharged effectively to theoutside through the rotor which preferably consists of light metal thusa good heat-conducting material. Through the reduction of the airdensity in the window zones, the noise development and dissipation ofmechanical energy is met at the place of their origin.

The fan wheels have advantageously substantially radially extendingblades. This is on one hand advantageous for space reasons and on theother hand the radially extending blades achieve a specially largepressure drop. However, other fan wheels are also possible, for exampleaxial flow fans. In a specially advantageous embodiment of theinvention, the fan wheels are provided in rotor end walls (inlet partand outlet part) and- /or in the rotor partition walls. This avoids thenecessity of special structural parts for the fan wheels because wallsfor the supporting of the spool carriers are needed anyway on the rotorend walls and therebetween. However, constructions are also possible inwhich the fan wheels are formed by special parts which are fixedlyconnected to the rotor.

According to a further development of the invention air jets which actas blades exit from the fan wheels into the space between rotor andinner wall of the housing and in each cooling zone there is arranged atleast one air inlet opening and one air outlet opening. Through thisfurther development of the invention the fan wheels which are arrangedin the rotor effect at the same time a pumping effect in the housing sothat through this housing large amounts of air are moved from outsidefor cooling the rotor. In the subclaims there are defined embodimentsfor the construction of guides for the air which flows through thehousing,

which are partly explained in the hereinafter following description inconnection with the drawings of one exemplary embodiment.

According to a further development of the invention, at least somehousing partition walls consist of two or more elemental walls. betweenwhich the plenum chambers are provided. The several elemental wallstogether form a sort ofa labyrinth gland which on the one hand inhibitsthe propagation of the noise which is created in the window zones and onthe other hand prevents an excessive return flow between the coolingzones which are under high pressure and the window zones which are underlow pressure. In this manner the desired relatively great pressuredifference can be maintained.

According to a further development of the invention a fan wheel which isadjacent to a brake pulley is used for cooling same. Characteristics ofthis are defined more in detail in the subclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One exemplary embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial cross-sectional view ofa high-speed stranding machinehaving two spool carriers within the rotor and FIG. 2 is across-sectional view along the line IIII of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The stranding machine has a housing 1 and a rotor2.

The rotor 2 has a cylindrical member 3 which is closed at one end by arotor end wall 4 and at the other end by a further rotor end wall 5. Theend wall 4 is at the inlet side and the end wall 5 is at the outletside. The end wall 4 has a shaft 6, which is supported in ball bearingmeans 7, while the outlet side end wall 5 is supported by means of ashaft pin 8 in ball bearing means 9 in the housing 1.

A partition wall 10 is also provided in the rotor. Shafts ll, 12 arearranged on the partition wall 10. Similar shafts l3 and 14 are providedon the end walls 4 and 5. The shafts 13 and [I serve to support a spoolcarrier 15 and the shafts 12, 14 for supporting a further spool carrier16. The spool carriers are supported on ball bearings 17 and each has aloading weight 18 which together with the form of the spool carriertends to hold the spool carriers in the position illustrated in thedrawing during rotation of the rotor 2.. Not illustrated mountings ofany suitable type for spools 19, 20 are provided on the spool carriers.

Windows 21 are arranged in the region of each spool carrier l5, 16 inthe cylindrical member 3 of the rotor 5, which windows interrupt thesmooth wall of the rotor. Through this window, the spools 19, 20 areinserted or removed. Flaps. not illustrated, are provided in the wall ofthe housing 1, which flaps permit an operator to reach through the wallof the housing 1 through the window 21 into the inside of the rotor 2.

Wire guides as desired are provided in the rotor 2, namely a guide bore22 in the end wall 4 and thereafter following are provided eyelets 23,24, 25, 26, a further guide bore 27 and an outlet eyelet 28 for a wire29 which is introduced from outside into the rotor and is thereby guidedover a guide roller 30 which is supported on the housing 1. For guidinga wire 31 which comes from the spool 19, there are provided a guide 4bore 32 in the partition wall 10, two following eyelets 33, 34, a guidebore 35 in the end wall 5 and an outlet eyelet 36. A wire 37 which comesfrom the spool 20 is guided in a guide bore 38 and a central outleteyelet 39.

A brake pulley 40 is connected with the rotor end wall 4, the outer endof which serves at the same time as a V-belt pulley 41. An annularchannel 43 is provided between the cylindrical brake pulley 40 and abearing sleeve 42 of the housing 1.

The housing 1 is composed of three main sections 44, 45 and 46. Thehousing has a substantially larger diameter than the rotor so thatbetween the rotor and the housing a relatively large space is provided.

Housing partition walls project from the inner wall of the housing 1,which housing partition walls reach close to the rotor. Each partitionwall is formed in the illustrated exemplary embodiment of two elementalwalls. Thus the elemental walls 48/49. 50/5l, 52/53 and 54/54 form eachone partition wall. Between the elemental walls, plenum chambers 55 areprovided. The walls 48/49 and one wall 56 on the housing define a firstcooling zone 57. The walls 48/49 and 50/5l define a window zone 58. Thewalls 50/5l and 52/55 define a cooling zone 59, the walls 52/53 and54/54 a window zone 60 and the walls 54/54 and a housing wall 61 acooling zone 62.

Fan wheels which are identified by reference numerals 64, and 66 areoperated according to the invention in the rotor end wall 4 on the inletside, the rotor partition wall 10 and the rotor end wall 5 on the outletside. Said fan wheels convey air from inside of the rotor into thecooling zones 57, 59 and 62 which causes a reduced pressure in thewindow zones 58 and 60.

The fan wheels 64, 65 and 66 have radial blades 67 (FIG. 2), thus are tobe considered as radial fans which can create a particularly greatpressure differential between the inlet and outlet sides thereof.

The channels in the fan wheel 64 are conducted between the bladesalternately so that, considered in peripheral direction, the channelsalternately enter the cooling zone 57 and the channel 43 between brakepulley 40 and bearing sleeve 42. All channels from the fan wheel 65enter the cooling zone 59 and all channels from the fan wheel 66 enterthe cooling zone 62.

FIG. 2 shows that the wall 68 of the housing 1 is arranged eccentricallyto the rotor 2 in the region of the cooling zone, namely in such amanner that the radial distance a is a minimum at the highest point ofthe cooling zone and increases from there toward both sides.

FIG. 2 also shows that in cross section approximately triangularchannels 69, 70 are provided in the housing, which channels extendalongside the entire housing and open into the ambient atmospherethrough windows 71 (see FIG. 1) either directly or indirectly throughsound absorbers. In the region of each cooling zone there is alsoprovided an upwardly extending housing projection 71 which comes closeto the rotor and separates the cooling zone chamber 59 between thechannels 69 and 70. Connecting openings 72 and 73 open from the channels69 and 70 into the cooling zone chamber 59.

The air jets which exit from the air channels 74 between the blades 67flow in radial direction and rotate at the same speed as the fan wheel65 and therefore act like blades.

The stranding machine operates as follows:

After inserting the spools 19, 20 and threading in the wires 31, 37, 29,the rotor 2 is rotated and accelerated to very high rotational speed,for example to 5,000 rotations per minute. The fan wheels 64, 65, 66thus develop a very strong pumping action and draw air from the insideof the rotor 20b, which causes the window zones 58, 60 to be partiallyevacuated. This causes a re duced pressure to appear in these zones anda higher pressure in the cooling zones 57, 59 and 62. Thus the edges ofthe windows 21 act in the inventive machine only with rarefied air,which substantially reduces the turbulence therein as compared withstranding machines in which the window zones are under atmosphericpressure. Due to the reduced pressure inside the rotor, air is stronglydrawn in through the guide bores 22, 35, 38 and 27, through which heatis dissipated from the shafts 13 and 14, which heat is produced by thebearing friction in the ball bearings 17 and 7 and 9. During the rapidrotation of the rotor 2, the spool carries 15, 16 substantially remainstanding still. They are, because of the bearing friction, slightlyturned in direction of rotation but they will not rotate together withthe rotor.

The individual wires 29, 3i and 37 are joined together in a nozzle 76.

The air jets 75 (FIG. 2) produce a pumping action in the cooling zones57, 59 and 62, through which, depending on the direction of rotation ofthe rotor, air is either drawn from the channel 70 and conveyed into thechannel 69 or air is drawn from the channel 69 and is conveyed into thechannel 70. Through this air movement, the rotor is surrounded by alarge amount of air, which discharges heat from the rotor. The heatwhich is largely created in the window zones 58 and 60 moves through thesolid cross section of the rotor into the cooling zones. This heatconduction is assisted if the rotor is made of a good heat conductingmaterial. Aluminum is well suited as material for the rotor. The pumpingaction by the air jets 75 is assisted by the change of the cross sectionin the peripheral direction. This cross-sectional change acts similarlyto a spiral housing of a fan.

The plenum chambers 55 prevent the propagation of the noise created inthe window zones 58, 60. The combination of the housing partition wallsof two elemental walls (it would also be possible to provide more thantwo elemental walls) acts like a labyrinth gland which results in a goodseal between the areas of low pressure (window zones) and the areas ofhigh pressure (cooling zones).

The rotor must be stopped in as short a time as possible, for example inthe case of a wire breakage to minimize waste. In present practicestopping times of S to 6 seconds are required. Within this short time avery great kinetic energy must be destoyed. This causes a thereforelarge amount of heat to be generated in the brake pulley for whichreason its cooling by the cooling air which is conveyed by the fan wheel64 is very useful.

Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has beendisclosed above for illustrative purposes, it will be understood thatvariations or modifications thereof which lie within the scope of theappended claims are fully contemplated.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a high-speed stranding machine for the manufacture of strandedwire from individual wires or from ropes of stranded wire, comprising ahousing in which a windowed cylindrical rotor is supported rotatably andspaced from the inner wall of the housing, having at least one spoolcarrier which is pivotally suspended in the rotor and accessible througha window which is provided in the rotor, and devices for venting theinside of the housing, wherein on the inside of the housing there arearranged housing partition walls which extend to a point close to therotor, and which divide the space between the inner wall of the housingand the outer wall of the rotor into window zones and into coolingzones, the improvement comprisng fan wheels fixedly connected to therotor to convey air from the window zones into the cooling zones andbetween said window zones and said cooling zones and between the insideof the rotor and the atmosphere only small flow cross sections exist.

2. The improved machine according to claim I, wherein the fan wheelshave substantially radially extending blades.

3. The improved machine according to claim 2, wherein the fan wheels areparts of the rotor end walls and/or the rotor partition walls.

4. The improved machine according to claim I, wherein air jets exit fromthe fan wheels into the zone between said rotor and inner wall of thehousing, which air jets act as blades and wherein in each cooling zonethere is arranged an air intake opening and an air outlet opening.

5. The improved machine according to claim 4, wherein in that in thelower area of the housing lengthwise of the housing sides, air channelsextend which are connected directly or indirectly with the surroundingair and wherein that connections are provided between these air channelsand the cooling Zones.

6. The improved machine according to claim 5, wherein the air channelshave a substantially triangular cross section, which is formed by bottomand sidewalls of the housing and an inner wall of the housing which isapproximately concentrical to the rotor.

7. The improved machine according to claim 4, wherein between air inletopening and air outlet opening there is arranged in each cooling zone awall which extends to a point close to the rotor.

8. The improved machine according to claim 4, wherein at least in thecooling zones the housing wall extends relative to the rotor, so that,seen in peripheral direction of the rotor, the flow cross section in thecool ing zones is first reduced and then again enlarged.

9. The improved machine according to claim 8, wherein the housing issubstantially cylindrical, however, extends at least in the coolingzones eccentrically to the rotor.

10. The improved machine according to claim I, wherein at least somepartition walls of the housing consist of two or more elemental walls,between which the plenum chambers are defined.

11. The improved machine according to claim 1, including a brake pulleywhich is fixedly connected to the rotor for stopping the rotor, andwherein the brake pulley jacket defines an annular channel to theoutside and that an adjacent fan wheel conveys air into this channel.

12. The improved machine according to claim 11, wherein air channelswhich are provided between the blades of the adjacent fan wheel openalternatingly into the annular channel and into the adjacent coolingzone.

13. The improved machine according to claim I, wherein in that the rotorjacket consists of a good heatconducting material, preferably aluminum.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 893287 Dated y 1975 lnvent0r(s) Walter Jahne It is certified that errorappears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, line 24; after "and" insert --said-.

line 29; delete "in that".

line 32; delete "that".

line 33; change "Zones" to -zones.

line 44 after "rotor" delete the comma line 53; after "walls" delete thecomma line 66; delete "in that".

Signed and Scalcd this A ttest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSH Arrestin ALL DANN ummissimwr ufParems andTrademarks FORM PC3-1050 l10-69l USCOMM-DC e0a1e-|=es U5 GOVEQNMENYPRINTING OFFICE 859 930

1. In a high-speed stranding machine for the manufacture of stranded wire from individual wires or from ropes of stranded wire, comprising a housing in which a windowed cylindrical rotor is supported rotatably and spaced from the inner wall of the housing, having at least one spool carrier which is pivotally suspended in the rotor and accessible through a window which is provided in the rotor, and devices for venting the inside of the housing, wherein on the inside of the housing there are arranged housing partition walls which extend to a point close to the rotor, and which divide the space between the inner wall of the housing and the outer wall of the rotor into window zones and into cooling zones, the improvement comprisng fan wheels fixedly connected to the rotor to convey air from the window zones into the cooling zones and between said window zones and said cooling zones and between the inside of the rotor and the atmosphere only small flow cross sections exist.
 2. The improved machine according to claim 1, wherein the fan wheels have substantially radially extending blades.
 3. The improved machine according to claim 2, wherein the fan wheels are parts of the rotor end walls and/or the rotor partition walls.
 4. The improved machine according to claim 1, wherein air jets exit from the fan wheels into the zone between said rotor and inner wall of the housing, which air jets act as blades and wherein in each cooling zone there is arranged an air intake opening and an air outlet opening.
 5. The improved machine according to claim 4, wherein in that in the lower area of the housing lengthwise of the housing sides, air channels extend which are connected directly or indirectly with the surrounding air and wherein that connections are provided between these air channels and the cooling Zones.
 6. The improved machine according to claim 5, wherein the air channels have a substantially triangular cross section, which is formed by bottom and sidewalls of the housing and an inner wall of the housing which is approximately concentrical to the rotor.
 7. The improved machine according to claim 4, wherein between air inlet opening and air outlet opening there is arranged in each cooling zone a wall which extends to a point close to the rotor.
 8. The improved machine according to claim 4, wherein at least in the cooling zones the housing wall extends relative to the rotor, so that, seen in peripheral direction of the rotor, the flow cross section in the cooling zones is first reduced and then again enlarged.
 9. The improved machine according to claim 8, wherein the housing is substantially cylindrical, however, extends at least in the cooling zones eccentrically to the rotor.
 10. The improved machine according to claim 1, wherein at least some partition walls of the housing consist of two or more elemental walls, between which the plenum chambers are defined.
 11. The improved machine according to claim 1, including a brake pulley which is fixedly connected to the rotor for stopping the rotor, and wherein the brake pulley jacket defines an annular channel to the outside and that an adjacent fan wheel conveys air into this channel.
 12. The improved machine according to claim 11, wherein air channels which are provided between the blades of the adjacent fan wheel open alternatingly into the annular channel and into the adjacent cooling zone.
 13. The improved machine according to claim 1, wherein in that the rotor jacket consists of a good heat-conducting material, preferably aluminum. 